Not long ago, former Indian cricketer Reetinder Singh Sodhi had opined that he will not be surprised if the Indian think tank ends up dropping Rishabh Pant from the playing XI in the wake of his mediocre outings with the willow for the Virat Kohli-led side. With India’s first-choice wicketkeeper batter playing series of forgetful knocks against South Africa, former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir has weighed in on the possibility of Pant getting replaced by KL Rahul in the longest format.
Pant was earlier called out by Gambhir following his cheap dismissal in the 2nd Test match between India and hosts South Africa. The Virat Kohli-less side lost the 2nd Test as South Africa levelled the three-match series with a seven-wicket win. Later, the underfire wicketkeeper-batter played a crucial knock although the Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper failed to bank on his start in the series decider at Cape Town.
Gambhir, who is a part of the commentary panel for the South Africa Test series was recently asked about Pant’s dip in form during a discussion on Star Sports. “We have seen Pant getting out in same fashion multiple times. Is their a possibility to make Rahul keeper and play an extra batsman if Pant continues to get out on rash shots,” a fan asked Gambhir during the interaction.
Responding to the fan query, Gambhir rejected the idea of Pant getting replaced by Rahul as India’s full-time wicketkeeper in the longest format. Gambhir also explained why Rahul is not an ideal choice to replace Pant behind the stumps. “I will just say Rahul as opener, Rahul as keeper. If you see any wicketkeeper, if he keeps for 150 overs and then he has to play the first ball, it is next to impossible. It can work in ODIs and T20Is but you need a regular wicket-keeper in Test matches,” Gambhir said.
Pant spearheads the middle-order of the Kohli-led side in the longest format while versatile Rahul has become India’s all-format opener. The senior batter was recently appointed as India’s vice-captain in white-ball cricket. Rahul will also lead Team India in the three-match One Day International (ODI) series against South Africa.
“Your wicketkeeper cannot be an opening batter in Tests, it can be a one-off case when you don’t have an opener. But it is not a long-term solution. So Rahul as keeper – definitely not, because you want him to score runs against the new ball and he has just started to get into the rhythm of Test cricket,” Gambhir added.
